June 11, 2013

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer / Associated Press

By Steve Schrader

Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

Offensive tackle Kyle McDermott — a prize recruit and lifelong fan of nearby Miami — sure seemed to get a kick out of telling Ohio State’s Urban Meyer no thanks when asked to reconsider his 2014 commitment to the Hurricanes.

“The Urban Meyer thing was just funny to me,” McDermott told Bleacher Report. “He came to my school a week after I told his assistant that I wasn't even interested in them. I told him no to his face, and it’s got to be one of the top-five reactions of someone ever. His facial expression was just so funny. My coach was tearing up and had to go in his office to laugh.”

McDermott said it was “more like the state of shock where the guy has literally never been told no in his life. It literally looked like a kid the first time you tell him, ‘No, you can't do something.’ It looked like he was a baby about to cry. It was so funny.”

Joe skips Matt

Notice somebody missing from the nine? Matthew Stafford didn’t even make the still-too-early list.

But Montana followed up Sunday: “I did forget one guy, and I apologize ... Flacco.”

Quick hits

■ Herm Edwards, ESPN, on St. Louis cornerback Cortland Finnegan predicting the Lions will win the Super Bowl (if his Rams don’t): “We always tell players this: Know your role, do your job. Your job right now, Cortland? Just play corner. And you’re a good corner, you’re not an analyst yet. Right now, not very good being an analyst.”

■ Theonion.com headline: “Bettman wondering if he really has to attend every game of Stanley Cup finals.”

■ Kate Upton turned 21 on Monday. Is she still eligible to be a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model?

■ Michael Wilbon, “Pardon Interruption,” on the Patriots signing ESPN man-crush Tim Tebow: “You know what the problem with this is? This is way too close to Bristol. There’ll be 24-hour surveillance of Tim Tebow arriving in New England. God help the republic.”

■ Wait, the Patriots signed Tebow? As what, a backup to Tom Brady or Rob Gronkowski?

Compiled from staff reports and news services by STEVE SCHRADER, who can be reached at 313-222-6710 or sschrader@freepress.com.